Piers Faccini

Piers Faccini performs "No Reply" for Quick Hits

Do you believe in signs? I do. Tonight I heard one. I heard Piers Faccini on the radio for the first time. For months, I was carrying the weight of not delivering my article about his WONDERFUL show that I saw in July. Hence, by witnessing this sign, I decided that it was now time to deliver and push these fears away.

Fears? Why was I afraid? What was I afraid of?

I think I was afraid of not being able to translate the wonderful experience I had discovering Piers Faccini by attending his show and meeting him afterward. Tonight, I surmount my fears to share my admiration for this musician.

I discovered Piers Faccini at the Festival international de Jazz de Montréal. He was performing at the Club Soda on a Thursday night (July 5) in front of a calm and warm seated audience. I had no idea that he would become my biggest discovery of the festival, or even the year.

The show started magnificently. Tables were spread around the venue, creating a wrapping cabaret ambiance. The lights subtly lit the audience. Suddenly, the ambiance music went down and we heard hand sleigh bells coming from the middle of the crowd. There stood Piers Faccini in the middle of the audience, with percussion bells in his hands. He then started to sing acapella A New Morning. I was captivated.

Once he got up on stage, the experience kept increasing from one song to the next. Piers Faccini and his acolyte Simon on the drums shared rhythms, sonority, and stories from the entire globe in both French and English. For over two hours, they played music that transported us from one continent to another through mild voice, internationally influenced melodies, and refrains to sing along.

Within each interaction with the public, I got to know more about this timid yet extremely cultivated man. At the end of the concert, Mr. Faccini met his fans and kindly signed autographs for them.

I stayed until the end and introduced myself, asking him if I could interview him. He accepted. We went downstairs and had a glass of wine while talking about life. It was nothing like a regular interview, because Piers Faccini is nothing like a regular musician. He is an accomplished artist and human being. What could have been a typical and otherwise shallowed interview became a profound conversation about life's path.

That night, we recorded two songs from the show and captured the entire interview on camera. However, I will never publish them. What is displayed is light years away from the intensity I experienced at that moment. It would never translate Piers Faccini's authenticity. Attend one of his concerts, and you will understand.